A digital turf war is unfolding between Amazon and Perplexity AI, centering on the legality of AI acting as shoppers on eCommerce platforms. Amazon sent a cease-and-desist letter to Perplexity, claiming violations of its terms and citing potential breaches of federal laws. CEO Maya Mikhailov from Savvi AI noted that Amazon’s actions are a defense of its substantial revenue model, fearing disintermediation from AI tools like Comet, which potentially undermines consumer trust. Perplexity retorted that Amazon’s efforts aim to stifle innovation and claimed Comet works solely for users. Data visibility is a significant issue; Amazon risks losing insights into consumer patterns, crucial for its advertising model. This conflict echoes previous data access disputes, suggesting the need for a “Know Your Agent” framework to enhance transparency. As agentic commerce grows, estimated to reach $5 trillion by 2030, the stakes are high for both consumer identity and eCommerce profitability.
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